


Little Prince

by harrywyd



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: BlindHarry, M/M, PrinceHarry, bodyguardlouis, iamsobadattags, larry - Freeform, larrystylinson
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-04
Updated: 2021-02-09
Packaged: 2021-03-10 02:42:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 18,333
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27877038
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/harrywyd/pseuds/harrywyd
Summary: "You are very beautiful, little prince. And you shouldn't ever doubt that.""Can I just quote Rihanna and say, "I love the way you lie."ORThe one where Harry is a blind prince and Louis is his personal bodyguard, appointed to save the prince from any dangers.
Relationships: Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson
Comments: 18
Kudos: 85





	1. Beautiful boy

If someone were to ask Harry what was his favorite thing, he’d definitely answer by saying that he liked to read. The green-eyed prince loved reading books; he had a weird obsession with them. You’d never see him without a book in his hands. His liking towards books started at an early age. His mum would read him books every night before he went to bed— a bedtime story. But the bedtime stories never did their work as the little prince would be still wide awake even after the Queen had already read the whole chapter. Harry, so engrossed in what was going to happen next, never let his eyes close and stayed wide awake during the whole time.

His mum would read him various children books, from Dr. Suess to Lois Lowry but only one book stuck with him like no other did. He would beg his mum to read the book again and again, never once getting bored with the lovely book. His mum, with a tired smile on her face would read the first paragraph of the book aloud six times in a month. She never refused the little prince of anything.

So, she would read _The Little Prince_ to the little prince every day, never getting tired of seeing the smile overtake the small boy’s face as he heard each and every word attentively, cuddled up to his stuffed bunny as he listened in everything, even correcting her when she would skip some lines purposefully.

But as he grew older, the bedtime stories stopped and so did the smiles on the prince’s face. Not being able to see their youngest child so sad, the royal couple had done every little thing just to see a small tug up on the boy’s lips, but to no avail.

The smiles did appear, a little late but nonetheless there. It was when the publishers had launched the braille version of the book and everyone in the castle could still remember that day very well. The green-eyed prince had busted inside his father’s office where a meeting was taking place, everyone had been startled, of course. Harry, unaware of the curious eyes eyeing him up, had somehow fumbled his way up to his father’s chair with the help of his puppy— Coco.

The boy had then smiled the biggest sunshine smile and stared up at his father as he worded out his thoughts. Within a span of ten minutes, the prince had the thick book was added to his collection. Ever since then, Harry also took the thick book with him wherever he went— which wasn’t much per se, the boy preferred to stay in the castle and so did everyone.

That explained the situation he was in. Harry was currently lying on his big brother’s bed, head laid on the older boy’s lap as Liam— his brother— talked to him about his day in his soothing voice. The green-eyed boy had his book tucked to his chest as he listened in to what his brother had to say, yawning ever so often.

“And I was like no, and dad went like, _‘Liam, you need a bodyguard. Its for your safety and wellbeing’.”_ Liam imitated their father’s deep, gruffy voice. Harry’s features morphed into a frown as he heard his brother make fun of his father’s voice. “Don’t make fun of him, Li.” The nineteen-year old mumbled, crossing his arms childishly as a huff highlighted his words.

“Okay, I won’t, Hazza.” Liam mumbled in defeat, stroking the younger’s head as the boy murmured something about cookies just before his eyes fluttered close. Liam smiled down at his brother with a fond look on his face, watching as the green-eyed boy’s eyes shot open just as fast as they closed.

“Li?”

Liam hummed in response, silently telling the boy to continue.

“Do you think I am a burden?” Harry’s voice was very small, his body closing on itself as he tried everything in his being to make himself look smaller. “Why would you think that way?” Liam’s voice was harsh and it almost made Harry whimper out a pathetic sorry.

“You are anything but a burden. You are such an amazing son, brother, friend and most importantly, you’re such an amazing person.” Liam’s voice was soft and gentle this time as he accentuated his every word, carding his fingers through the curls framing the younger’s face.

None of them uttered anything after that, for a while. Both enjoying the comfortable silence blanketing the enormous boudoir.

“I don’t want a bodyguard, Li.” Harry whispered, curling up slightly with the heavy book still tucked to his chest, sniffing the scent of pine trees coming from the book— out of habit.

“Its not an option, Hazza. You _have_ to get one, your life and wellbeing is on stake.” Liam tried to explain the situation gently to the scared boy who shook his head stubbornly. “Don’ need one. I don’t even go outside, Li.” Harry argued, closing his eyes, though it didn’t make any difference.

He couldn’t see anything with his eyes closed, just like he couldn’t with his eyes opened.

Blindness was bestowed upon him since birth and as optimistic as he tried to be around his family, he was still the little scared boy who didn’t know how life looked like. He didn’t even know what he looked like. And even when everyone tried to explain his features to him, he wouldn’t know anything.

 _‘You have beautiful green eyes with tiny golden flecks circling the pupil.’_ His mum would say, but who would remind her that he didn’t know what the color green and golden looked like? _‘You have curly brown hair and even dimples on your cheeks.’_ His father would say, but who would remind him that he didn’t know how brown color looked like or that he didn’t know how dimples looked like on his cheeks? _‘You are very beautiful.’_ Liam would remind him daily, but who would make Liam realize that sometimes being beautiful wasn’t enough.

He didn’t want beauty. He wanted to see. To see the world, see himself.

But you can’t have everything you want.

He would always be the beautiful boy without any vision of life whatsoever.

\--

The other thing that Harry loved to do in his free time was probably taking a walk around the massive yard that they had. He loved walking in the wet grass, feeling the moisture of damped grass against the sole of his feet felt very relaxing. But the main reason of him loving these walks was undoubtedly because the yard didn’t have chairs, steps, or any other furniture like in the inside of the castle, so the chances of him tripping over something and make a fool of himself were less. 

It made him feel grounded; like there was absolutely nothing that could stop him. No canes to support his steps, no puppies to guide him through his way and no nagging voices that told him just how much of a loser he was, every time he tripped or fell. He loved feeling like this; a feeling that reminded him that he still had control over his own life.

He also loved sitting under the big oak tree that was situated on the far end from the castle, nearer to the servant quarters and guest houses. It was the next day. The day Harry had been dreading ever since the last week. He was supposed to meet his personal bodyguard today, the one who would also sleep in his room as the prince’s father didn’t want to take any risks.

It had started out with unpretentious abduction threats; which Robin hadn’t given much mind to. The abduction threats had soon turned into death and rape threats; Robin had increased the security around the palace after these threats. The threats had almost turned into a rancorous reality a week before. An intruder had entered the castle, somehow fooling the so-called security guards and had made his way into the young prince’s room while the prince was sleeping.

Harry had woken up to the feeling of cold metal pressing against his forehead and before the boy could as much as even blink, the sensation was gone and he was tightly embraced by the scent of his mother, who was sobbing uncontrollably as she kept pecking his forehead.

He shuddered at the memory, biting his bottom lip anxiously as he turned around abruptly, sensing some mild movements taking place behind him. He pinched his lip between the pad of his thumb and pointer finger, breath getting caught in his throat as the paranoia started consuming his body, eating him alive.

“I-Is someone h-here?” He questioned tentatively, a whimper emitting deep from his throat when some rustling could be heard. “C-Can I at least s-say bye to my family?” He whimpered pathetically, tears flowing down his rosy cheeks.

He was rewarded with a loud laugh. A very familiar laugh.

His cheeks burnt in embarrassment as he heard his friend guffaw like a hyena. “Niall! Don’t scare me like that!” The prince exclaimed, putting a hand on his heart to calm his racing heart. His hands flailed in every direction as he tried to grab a hold of his Irish friend, a frown taking over his features when he was met with just air.

“It wasn’t my intention! You weren’t even giving me any chance to say something.” Niall spoke in a thick accent, walking forward towards his best friend to pull the curly-headed boy in a hug. Harry, still fumbling around for his friend with a frown on his face, immediately lit up like a Christmas tree once he felt the familiar pair of arms wrapped around his torso.

Harry let himself be comforted by his best friend’s embrace for few minutes, sighing contently before he pulled away with a wide smile on his face, green unfocused eyes fixated on Niall but the blond boy didn’t have the heart to tell the brunet that he was actually staring at the tree behind him.

“C’mon, let’s go up to your room! I’ve got some juicy news for you pertaining my love life.” Niall squealed, taking the large pale hand of the prince in his own and leading them towards the massive palace, babbling nonsense which Harry loved to hear.

He loved hearing others talk. It made him feel connected to them in a way.

Though, he wouldn’t mind having someone who’d love to hear _him_ talk.

He had heard that some changes were nice and healthy for your lifestyle.

Maybe, it was about time he brought some changes in his life.

\--

“Your father awaits your presence in his office, your highness.” The palace’s head maid— Martha, bowed as she spoke, looking at the young prince who was sitting on the sill of his window, a book in his lap which was keeping him busy for the time being. The prince wasn’t really allowed to go outside the vicinity of the palace. No one even knew that the king had two princes, Harry was kept away from the public eye, that was also why the threats had come as a shock to the family.

“I-I’ll be there, Martha.” Harry was startled because of the sudden presence of someone in his room but the boy composed himself at the last minute and answered the maid, hearing the retreating footsteps of the woman’s heels. The green-eyed boy stood up from the window seat, tucking his book under his arm as he took a tentative step forward.

His guide dog— Coco, was nowhere to be detected; Harry couldn’t hear his yips or the dog’s chaotic movements and the boy had forgotten where he had put his cane. He didn’t want to bother anyone with a task as simple as walking, so the green-eyed prince stumbled his way outside his room and into the eerie quiet hallway.

His father’s office was just at the end of the hallway, so he didn’t really have to worry about ascending or descending the stairs. He knew his way around the whole palace, even if the place was such an enormous piece of work, it was what he had grown up in. Whole nineteen years spent in the same place; of course, he had everything memorized by heart.

He pushed open the mahogany door after he fumbled a bit around for finding the doorknob. With the support of the doorway, he walked inside effortlessly with an easy-going smile on his face. He was greeted with the sound of his father talking— or more like ordering someone around. The young prince walked further more into the plain office, his all-time favorite book tucked under his right arm, unaware of a pair of blue eyes scanning him from head-to-toe.

“Haz.” He smiled at his brother’s voice, instantly turning his direction to his right from where the voice was coming. Once he was in arms distance with his older brother, he was pulled to the older boy’s side. “This is your bodyguard.” Liam started with a soft voice, watching as the boy’s nose scrunched up unconsciously.

“His name is Louis.” Liam further added. Harry nodded with a smile on his face, testing the name on his tongue a few times before he smacked himself internally for acting like a child. 

“Greetings, your highness.” A voice rasped, lacking any sort of emotion. The young prince smiled in the direction where he thought the voice came from, unaware of a tanned hand outstretched in front of him for a formal handshake. The blue-eyed man retracted his hand with a confused look in his eyes, clasping his hands behind his back as he turned back around to face Robin was sitting behind the desk, masking his confusion with a stoic expression.

“The young prince can’t see.” The king’s personal guard spoke up from where he was standing behind the king’s chair. “My apologies.” The protector spoke up again with a solemn look on his face.

“You don’t have to be sorry for something you weren’t aware of.” Harry chimed in before his father could speak, staring at where he thought his bodyguard was standing.

And the corners of Louis’ lips twitched slightly for a miniscule second before the tiny smile (if you could consider it a smile) faded and his permanent scowl replaced it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you liked it! leave your thoughts and suggestions


	2. Bald

Harry hummed a tune under his breath as his index finger slid across the embossed paper, but the boy couldn’t really process any braille characters his fingers were sensing, mind too jumbled to give any thought to the tactile book dumped in his lap. The sun had set down behind the horizon long ago, the sky now adorned with a crescent moon. The regal family already had their dinner, and now two hours later, the young prince sat in his canopy bed, which was draped with a white cotton fabric, fairy lights hung over the posts of the bed.

A huff of sheer frustration left Harry’s mouth as he closed the heavy book angrily, throwing it to the far end of his queen-sized bed. His minder, who was standing just at the end of his bed, jumped a bit at the loud thud, turning around with alert in his eyes, hands already clasped around the metal pistol which the man always kept in his back pocket.

When Louis— the prince’s bodyguard, saw that there was no peril and it was just the prince who was frustrated, he relaxed his taut muscles. Louis couldn’t help but wonder how someone as beautiful as this boy could be visually impaired. The little prince was really beautiful with his unruly curls that formed an imperceptible halo around his head. Cherub rosy cheeks which always seemed to be implanted with deep dimples, eyes as green as a grassy field in summer.

With a shake of his head, he turned back around to keep an eye on the main door of the bedroom, hands going to clasp themselves at his back; almost out of habit.

“L-Louis?” Harry called out hesitantly, biting his bottom lip in worry as he anticipated the man’s answer.

“Yes, sir?” The minder was quick to answer, instantly turning around to face the little prince, who now had light pink dusted over his cheeks as he ducked his head down towards the lush satin sheets of his bed. “A-Are you going to sleep here, in my chamber?” Harry questioned, still not raising his head up, now fiddling with the loose thread of his pajamas.

“Yes, that was what I was told by your father, sir.” Louis answered back, watching intently as the little prince nodded his head vigorously, curls flopping around due to the action. “Would you not feel comfortable with me sleeping in the same room as you, sir?” Louis was quick to verbalize his doubts, blue eyes watching the prince’s each and every moment.

“If that is the case, then I’d be happy to sleep outside your room, sir.” He quickly offered, confusion filling in his eyes as the prince shook his head rapidly with a distraught look on his face.

“Was just askin’.” The green-eyed boy cleared his throat to get rid of his awfully scratchy voice. “Where will you sleep though?” Harry questioned; curiosity laced in his tone.

“On the couch near your window.”

Harry nodded, a frown taking over his face; the couch was a very uncomfortable place to sleep in. After that, none of them spoke anything and an awkward silence blanketed the enormous chamber. Harry wanted to break the heavy silence between them but the main question was: what should he speak about?

So, he just let out the first thing that came to his mind.

“Did you know that the name of the inventor of the braille writing system was Louis?”

Louis, not really sure how to respond just nodded awkwardly. What was he supposed to do? In normal circumstances, he’d just nod to whatever his client would say, never once having to take an initiative to speak up or interact with them. Nods, and shakes of his head were the only things he used to communicate with his clients but now that his client was a blind person, he _had_ to open his mouth to communicate with him; an arrangement which he was not sure whether he hated or loathed; yeah, he hated communicating.

“Louis? Do you not like me?” The prince’s voice was slow and small, which instantly made the minder turn around to assess the situation at hand. “Certainly not, sir.” Louis responded quickly; voice gravelly as he spoke.

“Louis? Can you stop calling me ‘sir’?” Harry’s voice was pleading as he fidgeted with his fingers. He wasn’t really good at communicating with new people, and he had a doubt somewhere in his mind that Louis wasn’t also good at communicating with people in general.

“Of course, _little prince._ ” The name slipped off the blue-eyed man’s tongue smoothly. Harry’s cheeks heated up undesirably as he ducked his head down to hide the embarrassing blush; it seemed as though all he did was blush and blush around his bodyguard. He didn’t want to give off a wrong impression, he didn’t want Louis to think he was an awkward freak.

 _Little prince._ He liked the name. No one had ever called him that, it felt unusual and pleasing.

“I am going to sleep now, Louis.” Harry announced, quickly laying down and getting under his quilt, turning on his side as he closed his eyes. “Goodnight.” The prince said, mid-yawn.

“Goodnight, little prince.” The gruff voice of his minder that Harry had gotten accustomed to, in the span of a few hours, was the last thing the green-eyed prince heard before he fell into a deep, dreamless slumber.

\--

“Are you going to follow me everywhere I go?” Harry asked, hearing the blades of grass rustle with each step Louis took. “Yes. That’s my job, I guess.” Louis replied, keeping an arm distance with the prince who was mindlessly wandering through the backyard.

“Why don’t you tell me a bit about yourself, Louis?” Harry suggested. If he was going to spend every minute of his time with his minder then he might as well get to know him well. “I am not allowed to give out my personal information to anyone.” Louis rasped after few seconds; his tone had an ounce of skepticism which made the prince frown.

“I am not asking for your credit card details. Just basic things about you that. . .” Harry trailed off, swallowing the forming lump in his throat before he opened his mouth again. “. . . things about you that I can’t see.” Harry heard the minder clear his throat and for a second the prince wondered if he had said something wrong. Many a times, he had heard the maids or even workers of the palace say that the young prince sometimes tried to gain everyone’s attention and sympathy by tripping over intentionally; which wasn’t the truth really.

“Well, for starters I have no hair.” Louis spoke with seriousness in his voice, but had his bottom lip tugged in between his teeth to stifle the laugh that was waiting to escape his mouth. “You are bald?” Harry’s mouth formed in an ‘o’ shape; shock written all over his face. “But you sound so young.” The prince argued, a stubborn scowl etched over his features. “I suffered from great stress as a kid, little prince.” The blue-eyed minder spoke truthfully but in no way the stress had cost him to lose his precious hair.

The prince nodded with an understanding smile on his face. “And I have brown eyes and blond hair—”

“But you just said that you are bald?” Harry interrupted with a confused look on his face before he caught up with the lie. “Blond hair as in my eyebrows and lashes are blond.” Louis spewed out a bogus coverup for his ridiculous lie. He didn’t even know why he said that he was bald in the first place.

“Oh.” The prince seemed to believe him and Louis mentally scoffed. How gullible a person can be? With his naïve and innocent personality, the prince was sure an easy target. “I was joking.” Louis deadpanned after a moment of silence.

“Why would you lie?” Harry’s voice cracked mid-sentence but the green-eyed boy remained facing the other way from the minder. “Is it because I am blind and I won’t know anything and will believe everything you say?” Harry knew he was probably overreacting but he had never been lied to. He had to believe everything and anything anybody told him; he didn’t have his own eyes to confirm the reality.

Louis’ eyes widened at the sentiment that was laced throughout the prince’s voice. “No, sir! I never meant it in that way!” Louis was quick to protest against the prince’s doubts but his protests fell to deaf ears as the prince shook his head before walking forward.

“I’d never do that!” Louis yelled after Harry, who continued to walk forward with a stubborn look on his face.

“Do what?” The prince abruptly turned around, staring at where he thought Louis was standing. “I’d never hurt you intentionally.” Louis spoke softly, pity clear in his eyes as he watched the prince stare at the flower bed next to him.

“Its against my job; I am supposed to protect you, little prince.” Louis cleared his throat, features set in his permanent scowl as his eyes drooped down to stare at the wet grass blades below the sole of his leather shows. “I am sorry. Was just overreacting.” Harry whispered, clamping his eyes shut really tight before he opened them again, his wet lashes touching the skin below his eyes gradually.

“I am sorry for making you think that I was making fun of you, sir.” Louis apologized sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly.

“So, bald with brown eyes?” Harry teased after a moment of heavy silence, the awkward silence obscuring the air vanishing the minute he spoke with a lazy smirk stretched across his face.

“No, brunet with blue eyes.” Louis responded with a grin on his face. Harry had got to be his favorite client till now. The green-eyed boy had a very contagious smile and a persona that seemed to catch you in and just itch you to make small talks with him. This was the most he had talked with his client.

\--

“So, you are telling me that the intruder didn’t left any clues behind?” Robin questioned rhetorically; an eyebrow quirked as he toyed with the stress ball which was placed on his mahogany desk. “Not that we know of, your highness.” Zayn responded.

Zayn worked alongside with him. The hazel-eyed man was more into technical and things along with solving some mysterious cases here and there. He also worked for the same security company that Louis did and was a close friend of the blue-eyed man.

“But?” Robin pressed, raising an eyebrow as his eyes darted towards the blue-eyed minder standing next to the hazel-eyed man. “But we do have some things that we’d like to share.” Louis spoke, hands clasped behind his back as he spoke solemnly, eyes staring at the wall behind the king’s swivel chair, legs spread wide apart in such a way that it enhanced his dominant persona even more.

“Things like?” The king questioned.

“The little prince had his door locked from inside that day, so the intruder must have entered through the window.” Louis started, not once missing a beat. “One security guard stands directly below the window and three other stand in the same path that leads to the little prince’s window.” He continued, his fists clenching behind his back as he spoke.

“So, if the intruder climbed up the little prince’s window without catching any attention of those four chaps, then I think that your security team had formed an alliance with the intruder.”

“Interesting.” Robin hummed, seemingly believing the theory.

“And I believe that can happen again if you don’t fire your current security team.” Zayn spoke up from beside him. “We will work on that tomorrow, boys. Its already eleven and I think Louis you need to get back to your main job.” Robin suggested, directing his attention towards the blue-eyed minder who nodded dutifully.

Both the friends bid the king a goodbye and left in opposite directions after a ‘goodnight’. The hazel-eyed man leaving to reach the servant chambers and the blue-eyed man leaving to reach the young prince’s chamber.

Louis quickly reached the little prince’s bedroom, pushing open the large door. He expected to be greeted by the prince reading but was met with a rancorous sight.

“Is it you Louis?” Harry opened his eyes confusedly as he spoke, touching the pale arm that was caressing his forehead softly.

“Think again, Harry.”

-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> woah, this has gotten a really nice response from you lot  
> a massive thanks to everyone who left kudos and comment(s)? lol


	3. Carry

_“Think again, Harry.”_

Louis heard a low chuckle as he slowly creeped behind the unwanted intruder who was presumably a man dressed in all black with a hood covering his head. The blue-eyed man heard a whimper leave Harry’s mouth as the kitchen knife was pressed against his neck, the cold steel sending shivers down the prince’s spine.

Before the intruder could do any harm, the blue-eyed man grabbed the intruder by his shoulders and in a flash pushed him away which sent the man dressed in black on the carpeted floor with a loud thud. Louis looked at the intruder to see his face but was met with a black mask covering his whole face.

He went to crouch down and probably punch the shit out of the bloke but his actions were interrupted by a soft sob. He turned around instinctively and was met with a heart clenching sight. The little prince was sobbing quietly with a hand pressed against his mouth to stifle the sobs racking through his body which made him literally shake like a leaf.

The green-eyed boy had his eyes closed as each tear slid down his cherub cheeks from the side of his eyes, bottom lip wobbling with each sob. Louis also noticed the tiny cut on the prince’s neck. The cut being situated just below the skin of the boy’s Adam’s apple, blood seeping out of it smoothly like honey dripping down a ladle, despite of being a minor cut.

Louis quickly turned around to check on the intruder only to be met with nothing. “Fuck!” The blue-eyed man cursed, kicking the bed’s post out of anger which didn’t seem to be a good idea as the movement jerked the bed a bit which startled the crying boy on the bed resulting into the boy sobbing even more.

Sighing loudly, Louis bent down to browse through the various drawers included in the prince’s bedside table. He found what he was looking for. Opening it hastily, he quickly picked up few cotton pads before standing up. He then pressed the cotton pads on the prince’s wound in hopes of it stopping the bleeding somehow.

“You’re okay now, love.” He whispered to the little prince quietly before turning around and running out of the room, informing Zayn and his other comrades about the situation at hand through his walkie-talkie. His comrades were quick to respond and Louis was assured that the little prince would be taken care of while he tried chasing the intruder.

The blue-eyed minder ran down the grand stairs of the palace hastily, his hands grasping his beloved pistol. He didn’t find any trace of the intruder nor did he find any hints from the guards guarding the entryway of the palace.

“I want the CCTV footage of every camera in this fucking palace, do you copy me?” He pressed the button on his walkie-talkie, consequently taking the pad of his thumb off of the button so he could hear Zayn speak. “Wilco, over.” Zayn’s voice came through the handheld radio.

After he placed the walkie-talkie in its designated place; the loop of his slacks, he ran up the stairs to the prince’s room. “Whoa hold your horses, man.” He heard a male voice exclaim; his Irish accent prominent as ever. He looked at the blond with an annoyed look in his eye.

He knew the boy. Him being the closest friend of the little prince. The blue-eyed blond— who went by the name Neil or Nail, Louis couldn’t be bothered with learning— was also the child of the palace’s head cook. The blond looked flustered, breathing heavily as if he had just run a whole ass marathon.

He eyed the blond suspiciously before shaking his head. _It couldn’t be._

With a slight shake of his head, he pushed past the blond and made his way inside Harry’s room. He watched as Robin paced back and forth along the room’s length while talking to someone on his phone. Liam was talking with Zayn as the former made wild gestures whilst the latter just nodded to everyone the older prince was spewing out.

And finally, his eyes settled on the decked canopy bed on which the little prince was sat hugging his mother, a gauze Band-Aid stuck on the wound as he sniffled ever so often. “Tomlinson! What the fuck happened here?” Robin bellowed as soon as his eyes fell on the blue-eyed minder watching the scene from afar.

Harry, who was now a tad quiet jumped at the sudden thundering voice before he snuggled even more in his mother’s comforting embrace. The cut wasn’t really that deep, heck it didn’t even hurt the prince. It was rather the shock that had him scared to the core. Harry hated feeling helpless and that was exactly what he was feeling as of now.

“When I reached the prince’s chamber, the intruder had already invaded the prince’s chamber and was already holding the prince at knifepoint. Had I not reached here on time; the intruder would have done what he had come for.” Louis quickly responded, inching closer so now he was standing in the middle of the room.

Robin sighed, licking his chapped lips before he nodded appreciatively. The bespectacled man then left the room without a word, concern etching his features. Louis turned to look at Harry who was still hugging his mother but the prince had his eyes closed, plump lips parted as little snores pushed past his mouth.

He watched as Anne carefully laid the prince’s head on one of the pillows adorning the bed before standing up from the bed. The queen then bent down to place a loving peck on the sleeping boy’s glistening forehead before leaving the room but not before patting the blue-eyed minder’s back gratefully.

Liam followed his mother, giving sideway glances to his brother as he left. “We need to fire the current security team, Louis.” Zayn spoke slowly and quietly as to not scare the sleeping prince, as the hazel-eyed man inched forward towards where Louis was standing, as the blue-eyed man watched the prince sleep tranquilly.

“Tell me about it.” Louis snorted, shaking his head before he licked his chapped lips to moisten them up. “I have my doubts on that Neil chap, keep an eye on him, would you?” The blue-eyed man spoke up, quirking an eyebrow at his friend who nodded with a shrug of his shoulders.

“I have too but can’t say too surely. The boy looks too innocent and harmless.” Zayn replied, shoving his hands deep inside the pockets of his trousers.

“Exactly. He looks _too_ innocent for his own good.”

\--

“Can you rewind that?” Louis spoke up, breaking the nonchalant silence in the small room. Zayn nodded, doing as he was told. “The intruder didn’t enter from the door. And that just further proves my point.”

“What are you talking about? You just said that the intruder lives inside the castle and if he’s climbing up the window then its obvious that he’s an outsider.” Jake, the cop appointed for the job spoke up. The incident that had occurred last night had shaken up the royal family pretty bad. Robin had immediately called police, choosing to not trust his security team for the moment being— which Louis thought was pretty reasonable.

“No. If the intruder was smart enough to fool the security then he would have also been smart enough to fool the palace’s security and not climb up the window like an amateur lover. But if he’s a person who already lives inside the palace then he’d definitely choose the window route because he knew that the security would have easily noticed if someone were to visit the little prince.” Louis explained what had been going on his mind since last night.

“It’s not a professional hitman. It’s an amateur jealous person.” The blue-eyed minder completed; his jaw clenched as he watched the footage of what had taken place yesterday night in the prince’s chamber. Harry did have one CCTV camera in his room, but it was angled in such a way that seeing the intruder’s front profile was seeming to be a tad difficult. 

“Hey, man. What’s with you calling prince Harry ‘little prince’?” Jake questioned, sounding genuinely curious. Louis tensed up, muscles going taut as he clenched his fists before turning towards the brunet cop. “He _is_ the little prince.” He gritted out the truth. It was a pretty good reason though, because that was what he had in mind while he had called Harry ‘little prince’ for the first time.

“Don’t mind me sliding in between your conversation but do you guys have any idea of where they sell octopus meat? I have been dying to make this new recipe! It is called octopussy soupy.” Jake’s partner, Charles spoke up backing down slightly once he noticed the glares Louis seemed to be shooting his way.

“C’mon, Charles! Don’t tell me you named it that!” Jake cried out dramatically. “What? You like it, don’t you, Jakey-cakey?” Charles grinned, smacking his partner’s ass for the effect or in desperate hopes of someone getting the pun that he had been trying to make since ages. 

“You guys make me want to jump off a cliff.” Louis muttered to himself as he left the small room, trekking his way up to the prince’s chamber. The prince himself had requested some privacy today morning, wanting to spend some time with his dearest brother.

Louis had argued back, saying it was against the rules that the king had set beforehand but after Liam had shown up at the prince’s chamber after few minutes and had requested the minder’s presence out, the blue-eyed man had left willingly.

Upon entering Harry’s room, Louis was met with the green-eyed boy sitting on his window sill, eyes closed as he rested his head against the closed window. Liam was nowhere to be seen, and Louis was about to pop a blood vessel. How irresponsible could that bloke be? Leaving his own brother alone, especially after the incident that had taken place yesterday night. _Irresponsible fucker._

As quiet as he could be, Louis walked towards the couch beside the window, taking a seat on the plush couch, closing his eyes in bliss as he let his back muscles relax against the soft, cloud-like texture of it. “Louis?” His eyes widened almost comically before he sprung up from his relaxed position, his hands going to clasp themselves behind his back as he faced the young prince.

He looked at Harry, who still had his eyes closed and still looked pretty sleepy to Louis. “Can you carry me to the bed?” The words were a bit slurry, probably with sleep, but Louis didn’t miss a beat. He heard the prince loud and clear with alert in his eyes. But was he even allowed to touch the little prince?

“Please.” A mere whisper. The prince had spoken in a mere whisper which wouldn’t have been audible to Louis if he wasn’t paying so much attention. Gulping audibly, the blue-eyed minder inched forward, his heart thumping loudly against his chest.

He wiped his clammy hands against the rough material of his slacks before he even dared to touch Harry. With quite a tremble of his thumb, he bent down to pick up the little prince in his arms. The blue-eyed minder hooked his right arm below the prince’s kneecaps and used his left arm to support Harry’s back.

The prince smelt divinely. The sweet scent of the boy was so pungent yet so relaxing in a way that Louis could feel all of his responsibilities slip away from his shoulders, it was like entering your home after a long day at work, though Louis probably didn’t know what it felt like to have a home. The blue-eyed minder could definitely sense some baby lotion along with mild vanilla from the lovely scent radiating off from Harry.

He quickly laid Harry down on the comfortable-looking mattress— which looked so inviting, Louis didn’t remember when was the last time he had slept on an actual mattress. Movements as light as a bird’s feather, he pulled the quilt over the prince’s chin, tucking the sides for extra measures in case the prince had a habit of rolling over in his sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the delay but im usually more active on wattpad.  
> hope yall liked it!


	4. Help

“Louis?”

The blue-eyed minder gulped visibly before he opened his mouth to get something out. “Yes, little prince?” He choked out, shaking his head to get rid of his perverted imagination. “C-Can you maybe h-help me a little?” The prince’s voice came from the restroom attached to the enormous chamber. Help? How? Did the prince need help in getting naked? _Pervert._

“I— yeah, sure.” Louis responded before he pushed open the door to the restroom with shaky hands. He entered the all-white restroom, his eyes catching the little prince standing by the volley of the shower, a blue-colored fluffy towel wrapped around his waist, the prince still hadn’t ridded his white cotton shirt. “How may I help you, sir?” Louis asked softly, licking his lips consequently.

“Can you set the temperature for me? Niall usually helps me but he’s a bit busy today, I assume. And I am bit of a daft when it comes to setting the temperature correctly.” Harry spoke, still staring straight ahead. Louis nodded hazily, inching forward as he forced himself to not stare at the prince’s bare legs. His mind was so misted over that he seemed to forget the shower was still running. The blue-eyed man walked directly in the cascade of icy-cold water, a shriek of surprise emitting from his lips which easily startled the blind prince standing beside him.

The green-eyed boy jumped at the sudden sound before he somewhat composed himself but all in vain as seconds later, he was tumbling down towards the marbled floor and onto a hard body. “Oh, my god.” He mentally cursed as the icy-cold water soaked him completely till his bouncy curls were nothing but a flattened mess of brown hair.

“Are you okay?” Louis rasped from beneath him, his hands going up to rest against the prince’s love handles, the blue-eyed minder unaware of his own actions as he questioned the prince who had his face pressed against the damp material of the minder’s white button-up.

“Shit, I am fine. Are you?” Harry asked, trying to detach his body from the minder’s. “Don’t worry about me, little prince.” Louis responded back smoothly, helping the green-eyed boy up to his feet and only then did he notice that the prince’s white cotton shirt had been soaked thoroughly by the water in such a way that it had turned into a see-through shirt.

With a quiet groan, Louis sat up on the marbled floor, running a hand through his completely wet hair. Even his clothes were wet and now he had to run up to the servant’s chambers to retrieve another pair of his work clothes. “I-I will just…” Harry trailed off as he fumbled around the wall for the shower’s handle. A general sigh of relief left the prince’s lips when his hand grasped the stainless-steel handle, flicking it close.

Immediately, the forceful volley of water stopped and Louis breathed a sigh of relief as he tried to stand up. “Is lukewarm okay for you, little prince?”

“I— yeah, thanks!”

\--

“Harry, dear, why don’t you tell us what you want for your twentieth birthday?” Anne questioned softly, as she cut into the piece of lamb with her butter knife. Harry’s eyes widened at the sudden change of topic before he coughed and nodded. “Uh— I. . .” He trailed off, he had everything. There was nothing he could ask for his birthday. 

Though he had wondered what it’d feel like to eat junk food at local eateries, he had wondered what it’d feel like to drink cheap beer instead of expensive aged Madeira and champagne. He had wondered what it’d feel like to have a long stroll in public places with his significant other but there was no significant other to begin with.

No one would ever fell in love with a useless person like him; someone who still needed some help with daily tasks. For god’s sake, he couldn’t even wear his own clothes without getting his head stuck midway through the neck of his tees.

The green-eyed boy was snapped out of his trance by the voice of his mother, who was looking at him with a patient smile on her face. The boy clamped his eyes shut as he took a long sip of the Madeira swishing in his wine glass before he straightened his back and opened his mouth to answer.

“I’d love to go outside the palace for once in my life.” He answered with hints of hesitance in his voice, biting his lip as he anticipated his parents’ answer. The room was suddenly filled with heavy silence and Harry smacked himself internally for speaking without thinking twice. Liam was the first one to break the tensed silence.

“That’s wonderful, Haz! Maybe we can go to the local cinema and oh, my go—”

“You can’t go with him, Liam. You’ll attract attention from the paparazzi and that will only result in Harry being introduced to the limelight.” Robin spoke up, which lifted a smile on the young prince’s face, assured that his father wasn’t mad at him. “Then?”

“Louis? Will you go with him and make sure he has a wonderful day?” Anne questioned softly, turning her attention towards the blue-eyed minder who was standing mere inches behind her son, staring straight ahead. “I have no problems with that, your highness.” Over the course of these two weeks that Louis had spent at the palace, everyone had grown accustomed of seeing the minder with Harry. Wherever Harry went, Louis was always closely behind; I mean, it was his job.

Anne had also seen the way Louis sometimes took an initiative and guided the young prince gently and delicately as if Harry was a china doll that would break if it wasn’t handled with utmost care and love. So, in a way the blue-eyed minder had already gained her trust.

“Perfect then!”

“But Louis make sure to dress a bit casual, with your mysterious shades and your tux, you will only catch attention.” Liam chuckled from his place, glancing at his brother who also seemed to be smiling at the arrangement.

“So, Harry, tell me about all the places that you want to visit.” Liam turned his attention towards his brother, who nodded eagerly as he placed his fork down on his plate and started chatting away animatedly, hands making wild gestures as he spoke which did nothing to help reduce the fond bubbling in Louis’ chest.

\--

“Louis?”

Louis just hummed in response, urging the green-eyed prince to continue. It was already midnight and the blue-eyed minder was really trying his level best to ignore the little, annoying noises that the prince kept making. The prince kept shuffling on his bed which had made his oh-so expensive sheets rustle with slight movements.

“Is the outside world really as amazing as they paint it out to be?” Harry questioned softly before some more rustling could be heard. “Uh…” The blue-eyed man trailed off uncertainly. He had to two options: he could either lie and create a faux image of the cruel world outside the walls of the palace or he could simply tell the little prince the ultimate truth, which he wasn’t too sure how the prince would take.

As far as he knew, the prince was sheltered since he was kid, unaware of the cruel wrongdoings and harsh reality of the world outside. He didn’t really want to be the one to break the prince’s innocence but then again, he couldn’t really lie and go all soft on the prince. Who cared if the prince’s innocence would get ruined when he’d tell him the things that happened in the world outside: the name calling, bullying, domestic abuse, aggression towards the naïve and weak, and he could honestly go on.

He shouldn’t give a flying fuck about whether or not he’d ruin the perfect little image the prince had created in his mind.

But that was the thing. He didn’t want to lower the prince’s expectations and possibly ruin his mood.

“Uh— its not exactly how you imagine it to be!” He blurted out, facepalming himself inwardly. “Can you explain it properly?” Harry sounded curious— as always. “I mean, everyone is different, y’know? There are some people who tend to get very nosy, while there are others who won’t even give a fuck if you’re getting beaten to death in the middle of the road.” Louis tried to explain as best as he could, scratching his scalp absentmindedly.

“But there are some very amazing spots for sightseeing, these places are exactly like they describe in books, straight out of a fairytale and…” The blue-eyed minder awkwardly trailed off, realizing the prince couldn’t really see. Harry frowned sadly, shoulders hunching over in dejection as he tugged his bottom lip in between his teeth.

“Now that I think of it, they’re boring anyway. Not much to see, y’know?” Louis tried to cheer up the prince as he sat up on the couch. “You don’t have to lie.” Harry responded, and Louis could catch the faint smile tugging up at the green-eyed prince’s plump lips with the help of the moonlight flooding in through the meager fabric of the ivory chiffon curtains. “Hey! We can have a nice little picnic in a local park and feed some ducks, you’d like that.” Louis suggested after a while, leaning against the soft cushions of the couch, sitting with his legs crisscrossed on the couch. Louis honestly felt like slapping himself at the suggestion. He didn’t even talk with his clients and here he was, suggesting that he and his client had a nice little picnic for their outing.

He had initially thought of going with whatever the prince had in mind but he couldn’t help himself when the idea had popped up.

“Oh, that would be fun!” Harry exclaimed, sitting up against the headboard of his large bed. “What other things can we do?” The green-eyed boy asked after a while, pinching his bottom lip with his pointer finger and thumb. “We can go to a pottery painting studio, if you’d like? The blue-eye man responded after much contemplating.

Pottery painting was the first thing that had sprung up in his mind (if you exclude the infamous gay strip club). Rarely did he got day-offs and whenever he did, he would usually go spend some time in gay clubs, trying his luck with some good-looking twinks. He couldn’t really take the prince to a gay club lest he wanted his head served on a silver platter.

“Uhm, that sounds kind of fun. And maybe, we could even have some junk food from local eateries to end the night?” Harry suggested softly, verbalizing the things that had been going on in his mind. He had desperately wanted to eat pizza while sitting in a nice, little café; much like how a normal person would.

“Of course, little prince!”

\--

Louis woke up at four in the morning; without needing an alarm. He had grown accustomed to waking up early in the morning, it was like his mind had been systematized to wake him up. The blue-eyed minder shifted a bit on the couch— which seemed to be impossible— before he sat up, carding a hand through his messy hair.

Heaving out a huge sigh, he stood up whilst stretching his hands above his head to get rid of stiff muscles. The blue-eyed minder then proceeded to take his phone out of the charger socket, pocketing it in the pockets of his basketball shorts. He turned his head towards the large bed, catching the sight of the little prince sleeping serenely, lips parted just enough to let out soft, little snores. The prince was curled up in a fetal position, cuddled up to his fluffiest pillow, his curls fanning over the expanse of his pillow.

Louis shook his head, heading towards the door. Very quietly, he opened the door and quickly exited the room, closing the door softly behind him. Upon exiting the room, he was met with one of his comrades leaning against the wall across the door. He nodded at the man in acknowledgement, watching as the blond nodded back before he entered the room stiffly.

It was decided that while Louis did his early morning workout, another bodyguard would watch over the prince. Louis would come back to the prince’s chamber before the green-eyed boy woke up. It would take him one hour to just run around the expanse of the palace’s backyard, just warming up before he’d get started with his daily workout which would usually take him roughly around two hours at the most, and then he’d walk his way to the servant’s chambers where he would shower and get ready for yet another day at work.

He would be back by eight in the prince’s chamber, after having showered and breakfasted. 

But he refrained himself from wearing his slacks and his usual button-up today. It was the little prince’s birthday today, so he had to wear something casual as instructed by the older prince.

His old football jersey along with some casual grey sweatpants sounded nice.

Or did it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hope yall are liking it so far


	5. Jitters

“Where are we going today, Mark?”

Harry questioned, biting his lip in anticipation as his left leg bounced out of nerves. The green-eyed boy already knew where would they be heading but the silence was killing him. “I am afraid Mark isn’t going with us, little prince.” The green-eyed prince jumped at the sudden voice, obviously oblivious of the blue-eyed minder who had now sat himself in the driver’s seat of the car. The car they had chosen was more on the unpretentious side; the king not really wanting the pair to draw any attention.

“If you are not comfortable with me then I can—”

“I am comfortable for god’s sake; you sleep in the same room as I do. I just assumed Mark would be driving us.” Harry answered with a chuckle, hands going up to fumble with the collar of his shirt. He didn’t get any other response from Louis which did hurt him a tad. He always needed some sort of indication that the person he was talking to, was listening in to everything he was babbling and when he didn’t get any response, he just assumed either he had freaked the person out or the person wasn’t paying any attention.

“Harry! I hope you go to the local cinema, I told you about. Their popcorn is to die for! So buttery, so—”

“The prince is blind; I don’t think he can see any movie in a cinema.” Someone muttered matter-of-factly, the voice was unfamiliar to the prince. “Watch what you say, fucker.” Louis growled lowly. The tone of the minder’s voice sent a shiver down the prince’s spine. Louis had such a supercilious voice, firm and full of authority which Harry did admit made him feel tingly all over.

“I-I am just stating the facts.” The unfamiliar person retorted back, though this time his voice did waver slightly which was enough for the prince to know that Louis had somewhat scared the boy. “Scatter along, kid.” Louis backed down slightly, waving the garden boy off dismissively.

“Aiden, please be a little nice.” Liam rebuked the sandy blond, who was lurking around the backyard, observing every move of the regals like a hawk. It was no surprise to anyone in the palace (anyone except Harry apparently) that Aiden, the garden boy, was a very nosy person who always gave his input where it wasn’t needed but no one had the heart to tell off the boy. He was just too straight-forward and blunt, in no way was he rude but his bluntness did result into people misunderstanding him as a rude jerk.

“I am being nice!” The teenager defended himself indignantly. “Okay, let’s stop this right now. Aiden, you go water the plants and that’s an order.” Liam spoke. The sixteen-year-old sullenly retracted back but not before sticking his tongue at the blue-eyed minder who obviously chose to ignore the insignificant action. “Ok, Haz. So, there are some few rules that you both have to abide by.” Liam directed his gaze towards Louis who nodded dutifully. “First of all, please for the love of God don’t wander off, Harry.” The green-eyed boy merely chuckled, already having heard all of the instructions from his parents earlier in the morning.

“And Louis, I want him back by six in the evening. It’s still ten in the morning so you guys have plenty of time to do whatever Harry likes.” Louis sighed quietly, taking off his baseball cap to run a hand through his messy locks. “I know the rules, Liam! Dad and mum already gave me quite a lecture on safety and rules.” Harry whined, staring up at where Liam’s voice seemed to be coming from.

“Okay, okay. I won’t waste any of your precious time but make sure to stay away from any trouble, yeah?” Liam leant down to press a gentle peck on top of his brother’s head, murmuring a quiet _‘I love you and stay safe’_ before he pulled away. “Love you too, Leeyum!” Harry exclaimed happily, seemingly satisfied now that he wouldn’t have to hear any more rules.

“You can leave.” Liam nodded towards Louis who was hesitating with turning on the engine. With a respectful nod of his head, Louis pressed his foot on the gas pedal, the small, unpretentious car leaving the large iron gates smoothly. “Where are we heading?” Harry asked just few minutes into the ride, looking a bit restless as he continued to drum his clammy fingers against his knees.

The ‘birthday’ boy was wearing a floral shirt, the top two buttons were left undone purposefully which showed off his smooth chest generously. The prince had worn some nice tight black trousers, which accentuated the curves of his legs and hips beautifully— Louis was sure the boy was crafted by God with utmost care and love as to not ruin any aspect of the boy’s beauty; the prince was simply flawless.

“The park?” Louis offered, already knowing that the head chef of the palace had packed some snacks for them with all of Harry’s favorites containing the small picnic box. “Yeah, that sounds wonderful!” The prince exclaimed happily, squirming in his seat out of excitement. “Oh, and we can even feed the ducks, Louis!” Harry cheered which made Louis frown.

It was sad seeing an adult getting this happy over things as simple as going to a park for a picnic. He knew it was because of the fact that he hadn’t ever been allowed to go outside the four walls of the palace. And as much as he reprimanded himself, he couldn’t help but feel a little angry towards the prince’s parents but the fact that Harry wasn’t even slightly disturbed by the fact that he was kept away from the world, hidden within the four walls of the palace as if he was a thing which was kept to be hidden, was a bit concerning.

Obviously, Harry had to feel slightly envious of the fact that his own brother was shown off in the public as if he was a piece of gem whilst they kept him veiled in the shadows of his room.

But seeing the bond between Harry and Liam had bemused him more than ever. He supposed, it was Harry’s optimistic persona shining through the situation.

Soon enough, Louis was parking the car on the curb of the park’s entryway. He quickly got out of his seat, opening the door for Harry who was gnawing on his bottom lip, looking deep in thought. “C’mon, sir?” Louis stood there confused out of his mind as he stared at the prince who was now curling up in himself, trying to make himself look smaller as he shrunk back towards the leather seats.

“I-I. . .” Harry’s chest heaved up and down with each breath he took, tears brimming his eyes. “I—” Louis wanted to calm the prince down, hold him in his arms as he ran his fingers through the angelic curls of the boy, telling him that everything was going to be fine, but he couldn’t.

He couldn’t step up further and gather up the boy in his arms. He was frozen, eyes wide as the prince started wheezing pitifully, now tears falling down his rosy cheeks freely. A loud sob broke him out of his trance. He pushed his job protocols to the back of his mind as he quickly climbed up in the car, sitting in Harry’s previous seat as the boy had now moved himself further up, to the other window side.

He wrapped his tattooed arms around the lanky, trembling frame of the prince, one of his arms going up to cradle the back of Harry’s head. He pushed the prince’s head towards his chest, tentatively carding his fingers through the silky ringlets of the boy’s hair; just to get a feel of it. It was calming and relaxing for both of them it seemed.

Louis wasn’t good at the whole comforting thing, so he just sat there with his mouth clamped shut, letting his actions do the work of soothing the little prince lest weirding the prince out with his awkwardness. He ran his hair through Harry’s hair, drew impromptu patterns on his back, tightened his grasp whenever Harry as much as so let out a tiny sniffle.

After twenty whole minutes of Louis just doing all those things, Harry appeared calmed down so Louis retracted his arms back and gently pushed away Harry’s head from his chest, missing the wounded look that crossed the prince’s face at the action. “A-Are you okay now?” The blue-eyed minder questioned, his voice coming off scratchier than he intended it to be.

“I am fine, t-thanks for, um, holding me, I guess?”

“Its all fine.” Louis waved him off dismissively. “And you don’t have to worry about anything, as long as I am with you no one will dare mess with you, yeah?”

“That’s a little conceited, don’t you think?”

“You think?”

Harry could feel the tension dissipating, the playful tone of Louis’ voice somewhat helping him distract himself from the wonders of the outside world. “Mhm.” Harry hummed, letting a small smile tug up at his lips as he wiped his cheeks with the back of his hand. “Ready to go?”

“Do you think maybe we could drive back to the palace and have a picnic in the backyard?”

“That’s not possible, little prince and you know that.”

Harry frowned, an unconscious pout forming on his already pouty lips. Louis scowled at the sight of the frown tugging up at the boy’s lips.

“We can get ice-cream, if you’d like?”

“Chocolate?”

“Anything my majesty wants.” Louis bowed his head mockingly, knowing fully well that Harry wouldn’t be able to see it but he hoped his somewhat teasing tone would be a hint for the prince to catch up on the joke or else he would have to quit his job and move to another continent. “Well, your majesty wants to feed the ducks!”

“Feeding the fucks— I mean, ducks, it is.”

Harry giggled at his slip-up, tipping his head back as he laughed properly.

Yeah, it had got to be his favorite birthday so far.

-

“This ice-cream tastes different than the one made by Maura.” Harry commented, the tip of his tongue darting out to lick his spoon clean. “Yeah? How so?” Louis questioned softly, taking a bite of his own strawberry ice-cream. “I don’t know.” The green-eyed prince merely shrugged, humming contently at the taste of dark chocolate dancing along his tastebuds.

“Finish your ice-cream and then we can look for a spot to place this stuff at.” The blue-eyed minder spoke up after a while, gesticulating towards the picnic basket sitting by his feet along with a soft blanket for them to sit on. “Okay! And thereafter we can feed the ducks!” The prince exclaimed with a big smile playing on his lips.

Louis chuckled lightly, picking up their empty cups from the bench they were sitting on. “We will feed the ducks but let’s just first find a spot.” The blue-eyed minder responded, throwing the cups in the trashcan. He then stood up, picking up the picnic basket which had the blanket rolled up and stuffed in the space between the lid and its handles. He exhaled quietly before he outstretched his hand for the prince, choosing to ignore the tremble of his hands or the twitch of his fingers.

The prince wasn’t accustomed with new places, and while walking around the palace without a cane worked out for him (because of how familiarized he was), it wasn’t possible for him to walk without a cane outdoors. He knew he should have brought his service dog with him but Coco had his daily checkup today and he _despised_ the cane with his whole heart.

When he was just at the shy age of six, a new maid had blown up on him for hitting her leg with the end of the stick. The woman was obviously not aware of the fact that she was scolding (or yelling more like) a prince, mistaking the green-eyed boy for a meager commoner. Even though, she had been fired by his parents on the first day, the yelling and the humiliation had gotten to the little boy. It was after that incident that his parents had decided to adopt Coco. He was a Miniature Goldendoodle, a furry ball of sunshine and trouble.

“Let’s get going, little prince.” Louis murmured, nudging the back of his hand against the green-eyed boy’s clothed thigh. He watched with utmost patience as Harry’s nimble fingers fumbled around to feel the calloused texture of his hand before he eventually grasped his pinkie in his godawfully large hand. The boy smiled brightly once his hands were enclosed around the expanse of Louis’ hand.

He slowly interlinked their fingers together, unaware of the way his action brought out a faint blush on Louis’ cheeks. “Let’s go now!” He announced, standing up with his fingers still entwined with Louis’ clammy ones. Louis led Harry to a vacant spot under a large oak tree, a small smile tugging at his lips when he heard Harry humming to a song underneath his breath.

Once they were standing under the warm shadow that the tree provided, he let go of Harry’s hand— much to Harry’s dismay. He quickly worked on folding the meager fabric, spreading it out on the humid grass below them. He then proceeded to place the picnic basket in the center of the cloth, humming appreciatively at the outcome of his work. “C’mon then.” He instructed the little prince to sit down on the soft and cozy blanket.

“Hey, look out!” A panicked voice called out and before Louis could search for the source of the voice, a football came barreling towards Harry’s direction. Years of training made their appearance as he quickly pulled Harry out of the way just in time for the ball to hit the tree’s trunk with a soft thud. He looked down to see that Harry had fallen (fortunately) against his chest, the boy’s face nuzzled deep in the crook of his neck as he mumbled something incoherent. Louis kept his grip tight against the nape of Harry’s neck, which made the green-eyed prince grumble in protest but nevertheless the boy stayed still.

Louis muttered profanities under his breath as his alerted eyes roamed around the vast park for the culprit. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves, whether it be with their families or friends. He sighed quietly before he loosened his grip, quirking an eyebrow in surprise when Harry didn’t try to pull himself away from his chest. “You okay there, love?”

“You smell nice.” Harry’s muffled reply came, as the boy nosed against his collarbone brazenly. “Do I?” Louis’ tone held amusement which, of course, made Harry huff in distaste. The green-eyed prince found himself pulling away reluctantly as if he wanted to stay there all cooped up in the dent of Louis’ collarbone, which he actually did. Louis smelt divine, a concoction of fresh sweet apples and mint.

“Let’s feed the ducks!” Harry suggested gleefully. “Let’s first eat something, I am hungry.” The blue-eyed man responded softly as if he hadn’t just eaten three scoops of strawberry ice-cream. “What? Are you serious?” Harry questioned incredulously; brows furrowed in bemusement. “Yeah, what do you want? We have. . .” Louis trailed off as he opened the lid of the basket, peering inside. “. . . fruits, lots of them.” The blue-eyed minder commented softly, fingertips grazing the packed box of blueberries. “We also have sandwiches, don’t know which type. Then we also have two cans of soda, mac and cheese in a Tupperware and candies ranging from M&Ms to Reese’s.”

“Maura has also packed sweetcorn for the ducks— as per your request.” Louis completed. “Ooh! Can we feed the ducks now?” Harry questioned sweetly, an impatient expression coating his features. Louis grumbled softly, nevertheless standing up properly. “C’mon, let’s go.” The blue-eyed minder softly tapped the side of Harry’s thigh, lips twitching up slightly when Harry’s nimble fingers grasped his.

Harry rejoiced quietly, standing up with the help of Louis. Once Louis had the zipped bag in his free hand, he led the prince towards the lake just a few meters away. “Is the water dirty?” The green-eyed boy asked once they were standing near the banks of the small lake. “No?” Louis chuckled lightly, shaking his head.  
“C’mon now, can you crouch down for me?”

“Just a little, yeah— perfect.” Once Louis was sure Harry was close enough to the water so he could feed the ducks properly (at the same time also making sure he was far enough so he wouldn’t fall off), he let go off the boy’s large hand. “Are there any ducks present near us?” Harry questioned, and the enthusiasm lacing his tone was enough for Louis to crack a smile. “Yeah, a few. See, they are swimming closer to us. Outstretch your hand, little prince.” Louis placed a handful of sweetcorn in Harry’s palm, guiding his arm forward.

“Oh, my god! Its feeding from my palm!” Harry squealed loudly, scaring the poor duck away. “You scared the poor duck away.” Louis laughed lightly. “Now, no duck will come to you, throw the corns in the lake so they can feed themselves on their own.”

“But I wanna feed them!” Harry whined loudly, eyes blinking rapidly.

“You can feed me instead, baby.”

“What the fuck did you just say, fucker?” Louis stood up to his full height, his icy glare directed towards the black-haired man who stood a few inches away from them. “I am talking to that lovely doll over there.”

“And I am talking to you. Scamper away before I sock your pretty face.”

“What are you? His bodyguard?” The blue-eyed stranger snorted, rolling his eyes in annoyance.

“My boyfriend. H-He’s my boyfriend, now if you’d excuse us, we are spending some quality time together.” Harry chimed in, unfocused eyes staring at where he thought the man was standing. Louis’ eyes widened at the blatant lie that left the prince’s mouth. “You blind or summat? I am standing here, and you’re looking at a tree.” The man chuckled lightly, quirking an eyebrow in amusement.

When Harry’s face paled, the man laughed even more. “You are indeed blind.” He commented. “Something wrong with that?” Louis questioned curtly. “Nothing wrong with that. I get now why he’s dating you though, poor little thing can’t really see your ugly face.”

“You are ru—” Before the green-eyed boy could finish his sentence, the awfully familiar sound of bone breaking rippled through the heavy silence blanketing the air around them.

“Utter another fucking word about me or _him_ , I fucking dare you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope y'all are liking it so far  
> PS- its louis' birthday (as everybody knows) and im eating cake while updating this, and my mum is yelling at me to be careful around my laptop.


	6. Cheeky

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize beforehand for the shortness of the chapter but I really wanted to update. Ik I take an embarrassingly long time to update but I've got my other works to work on, this fic was just started by me to help me keep stuff off of my mind but the audience it has reached in such a short time warms my cold-ass heart. hope you like it! 
> 
> comments and feedbacks are appreciated!

“Where are we again?” The green-eyed boy questioned with an eager smile on his face, forearms rested on the tabletop in front of him as he squirmed perceptibly in his seat, either out of sheer excitement or nerves— Louis couldn’t tell. “At an eatery, just like I promised.” The blue-eyed minder answered almost immediately, eyes skimming through the dishes available on the ‘today’s special board’ hung proudly on the wall above the main cash counter of the place. “Ooh, can I have a cheese pizza with a glass of mint mojito.” Harry questioned with a wide grin plastered across his face.

“You’ll finish the whole pizza, little prince?” Louis questioned; brows furrowed in a frown as he contemplated over what to order for himself. “Of course, I will! I have a very huge appetite.” Harry answered keenly, blinking rapidly as he shifted in his seat. “Okay then, I am trusting you with this one.” Louis responded just as a teenager walked up to them with a sugary smile plastered across his pale face. “Can I take your orders, gentlemen?” The boy questioned professionally, the smile never leaving his features. “Uh— I’ll have a garden salad and glass of sparkling water.” Louis answered back, features morphed into a scowl.

“And for you?” The waiter turned towards Harry who inhaled almost shakily before he opened his parched mouth to utter out some coherent words. “A medium-sized cheese pizza with a glass of mint mojito.” Louis ordered for him, lips twitching slightly at the way Harry’s shoulders sagged in relief, the boy’s once tensed face now back to being its naturally flushed one. The waiter jotted down their orders on his notepad before he left with a quick promise to come back later in presumably ten minutes with their order— which Louis identified as a lie since pizza did take longer than ten minutes to cook to crisp perfection.

“Louis?”

The blue-eyed minder looked up from his phone to see Harry staring in the general direction of his, a tiny frown tugging down his lips. “Yeah?”

“I am not feeling fabulous.” Harry admitted, slouching down against his seat, arms shuffling for a bit before he stuffed his clammy palms in between his clothed thighs. “Oh. Should I do something about it?” Louis gulped visibly, placing his phone aside as he gave the prince his undivided attention. “N-No.” Harry shook his head vehemently, curls flopping around his face as he did so. “I-It’s just I feel like everyone’s staring at me, at _us_. I can feel their eyes drilling holes into my back, and I-I don’t like it.” The green-eyed prince admitted honestly, trying to make himself look smaller, if not indiscernible.

Sure enough, when Louis let his eyes roam around the vast rustic eatery, there were several pair of eyes scrutinizing them, trying (and failing) to be as inconspicuous as possible. “Let them stare, there’s nothing wrong with admiring pieces of art.” Louis spoke calmly, watching as slowly but surely a small smile tugged up at those rosy, plump lips. “You are bad at this.” The green-eyed prince responded with a loud laugh, immediately clamping his hand on his mouth once he realized how loud his laugh was.

Louis observed the way Harry’s nose scrunched perceptibly whenever he smiled big enough for his dimples to make a grand appearance, the apples of his cheeks flushing with his obvious happiness as his green eyes sparkled like an emerald stone being illuminated in a dark room by a peek of a shy ray of sunshine. “Bad at what?” Louis found himself asking, this time with a big smile of his own. _Flirting_ , Louis was expecting the word to tumble out from Harry’s very kissable lips but was left disappointed when the prince answered.

“Comforting.” The crinkles by his eyes disappeared as the bubble around him and Harry popped discernibly, the all too loud hubbub of the crowd around them blanketed the once silent yet comfortable air around them. Louis blinked, once. Twice before he was brought back to reality. His eyes widened as he took off his baseball cap to card a hand through his messy hair roughly. “Something wrong?” Harry’s deep voice snapped him out of his reverie, and he found himself staring up at the once sparkling green eyes which were now full of concern.

“N-Nothing, I—”

Louis was cut off by the waiter, who quickly put their respective orders in front of them and left without so much as a word. “You were saying?” Harry prompted, shuffling around mindlessly as he fiddled with his fingers. “Nothing. Let us get started, yeah?” Louis waved him off dismissively, picking up his salad fork to pick up the piece of lettuce which looked all too appealing in the mass of seasoned endives, tomatoes, carrots and radishes. It was probably after good five minutes when Louis noticed how Harry hadn’t touched his food yet, the boy’s head was ducked down. His eyes popped out of their sockets when he remembered how the staff at the palace would cut up his food and how Liam helped him with the crockery and all.

“Shit— fuck, motherfucker how could I forg— fuck, I am so sorry!” He couldn’t help but stumble out from his side of booth, strings of curse words tumbling out of his unleashed mouth. He was acting like a proper professional protector, stoic, calm and composed, and last of all, graceful. He slid himself in the side of Harry’s booth, taking a seat beside the green-eyed prince who had been sitting with his shoulder pressed against the wall. “I am so sorry.” The sincere apologies kept pushing past his dry lips as he placed two slices of pizza on the empty plate, cutting them in little smithereens with the help of butterknife and a fork.

Harry bit his lip to stifle the wide grin threatening to split his face into two. “. . . I am so sorry, little prince. Fuck, how could I forget something like this? How could you not demand me to do it for you? You are my employer, remember? You can ask me to do anything for you and I would have to do that for you. That’s how it works. How could you have sat silently? Wasn’t this greasy smell of pizza tempting you in the slightest? And oh fuck— hey! Are you seriously laughing at my misery?” His voice went squeakier by the end as his tone edged towards the one of a defensive.

“I am so sorry! You are just so adorable!” Harry laughed loudly again; this time not conscious of his surrounds as he hunched over slightly. The tips of Louis’ ear tinted a light pink at the prince’s words, eyes wide as he stopped mid-cut to raise his head up to stare at the green-eyed boy properly. “You are a rambler, aren’t you?” Harry continued, putting a hand on his mouth to stifle the little giggles that were leaving his mouth unwillingly. “Y-You could say.” Louis half-shrugged as he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, now fully conscious of what he had been rambling about.

“Oh, my god! I just want to pinch your cheek.” Harry cooed mockingly, now just grinning softly.

“Which one?”

“Oh, my god! Don’t be so horrid, Louis. I was talking about the cheeks which are a part of a human’s face.” Harry gasped scandalously, eyes squinting almost immediately. “Yeah, me too. I am asking you which one do you want to pinch? The one on the right side or the one on the left?”

“What were you thinking, little prince?”

“N-Nothing.” Harry answered back with his cheeks flushed a dark crimson.

-

“B-But you said, we’d go pottery painting!” The green-eyed boy all but whined, even going as far as stomping his foot against the hard concrete path. Louis watched with an amused look plastered across his face, leaning against the front door of the white sedan. “I know, but the prince just called me and demanded to get you back at the palace as soon as possible.” Louis informed serenely, watching as Harry’s face twisted in distaste before the boy let out a loud huff.

“Why? It is not like I have a ball to attend.” Harry scoffed, and Louis could detect some traces of envy in the prince’s tone. It was inevitable, at the last. How could Harry’s parents even think that their younger child wouldn’t ever get envious of his own brother, who would have a very grand birthday ball thrown by his father every year to celebrate his mere existence. The blue-eyed minder stayed silent, choosing to ignore the pang of sympathy that shot through his heart.

“C’mon, let us get going.” Louis spoke quietly, guiding the prince to his seat all the while ignoring the way his stomach fluttered every time Harry’s nimble fingers brushed against his cold arms. Flesh to flesh. Closing the door shut behind him, he quickly got in the driver’s seat, turning on the ignition as he looked one last time at the sullen prince, slouched down against his seat as he kept his beautiful eyes clamped shut. “Don’t be sad, I am sure they know what they’re doing.” The blue-eyed man tried to comfort the boy, but all in vain as seconds later Harry’s eyes snapped open in sheer frustration.

“They don’t.” Harry answered back tetchily, the ferocity in the boy’s voice startling the blue-eyed minder who sighed before pressing his foot on the gas pedal.


	7. Aiden

The rest of the ride went by in a frenzy, the heavy silence augmenting by each second that passed. Before Louis knew it, he was pulling the car in the communal garage of the palace. The palace had two garages, one of them being a communal one which was used by the workers of the palace or some visitors, whereas the other one was unambiguously reserved for the nobilities.

Louis quickly got out of the car, rushing over to Harry’s side of the car to open the door for the prince but before he could do so, someone beat him to it. That someone being none other than Harry’s brother. Louis watched with surprise clear in his eyes as Liam ushered Harry inside, a comforting hand placed on his younger brother’s shoulder. Shaking his head with a shrug of his shoulders, the blue-eyed minder fished out his phone from the back of his joggers.

“Tommo! Get your head out of your phone, and come here!” Louis grimaced at the nickname his high school cronies had come up with, absolutely despising the name now at his workplace. Slowly, he raised his head up only to be greeted by Zayn’s overly excited face, a big grin stretched across the hazel-eyed man’s chiseled face. Louis took a second to flip Zayn the bird in retaliation for calling him godawful name, before he made his way across the yard, where Zayn was standing.

“What is wrong?” He questioned; brows furrowed in a frown. “ _Wrong_?! Do I look like someone who has just been through some shit?” Zayn screeched, appalled.  
“Calm your tits, Malik. What happened?” Louis rolled his eyes, pocketing his phone as he ran a hand through his hair. A minute passed before his mind registered that something was wrong.

His eyes almost popped out of their sockets as realization dawned upon him, his cap was missing; he had forgotten to ask for it back after he had given it to Harry while paying for their food.

-

“Li, it is not even four in the evening! My time limit was supposed to be six.” Harry protested loudly, a whiny edge to his tone as he stomped his foot in frustration or perhaps, to make sure everyone knew he was very angry at the unsolicited decision of calling him back before his deadline. “Don’t whine, Harry. It was for your best. Now, get ready because I have got some great news to share with you!”

That was all Liam said before the sound of his retreating footsteps could be heard. Harry sighed in defeat, rolling over so he was lying supine on his bed. The green-eyed prince really wanted to go pottery painting. It was not the activity that excited him, rather the person who he would have gone with, if it wasn’t for Liam’s very unwanted text.

Harry wasn’t big on artsy things— heck, he could not even draw a straight line with a help of a ruler. Harry was sure he didn’t even know how to hold a brush properly, surely his lanky fingers would have dropped the earthenware on the ground with a loud shatter if he was given freedom. But maybe, just _maybe_ , Louis would have helped him with the task.

Maybe, Louis would have enveloped his unsteady hand with his much smaller one— Harry loved the feeling of Louis’ smaller hand in his horribly large one— and would have slowly guided his slender fingers with his nimble ones, so the team of them both would have made the greatest of strokes on the crockery, enhancing its beauty with their wavery yet delicate strokes.

And maybe, Louis would have kept the piece of crockery with him as a souvenir of their day together, a souvenir of Harry’s first day out, jam-packed with saccharine memories that the prince would hold dearly close to his heart for the rest of his stay on the planet earth.

But he did not have souvenir with him, and nor did Louis. All because his brother decided something was more important than him living the best day of his life. He could not relish _his_ day to the fullest because of his brother.

The brother who had everything that Harry could ask for: an existence in the outside world, real friends which did not entail the palace workers, and a proper vision.

A vision with which he could see the world Harry only dreamed to see one day.

“Harry! Why are you not ready yet?!” Liam’s disappointed screech did nothing but augment the ardent flame in the pit of his stomach. The green-eyed prince groaned loudly to display his distaste, rolling over on his stomach with a loud sigh. “Don’t be like that, Haz. C’mon, stand up now.” Harry recoiled away from his brother’s hand, rolling away to the farthest side of his bed as he kept his eyes closed.

“Is something wrong?” Liam’s tone held concern which definitely was not there before. The green-eyed prince snorted somberly, still keeping his eyes clamped shut as he now curled up in a fetus position. “Harry?”

Harry’s chin wobbled involuntarily at Liam’s soft tone, a frustrated whine pushing past his parted lips subsequently. “C’mon, you know, you can talk to me, love.” Liam placed a bolstering hand on the nape of his neck, easing him up before gently placing his head on his lap— just like the old times.

Soft, nimble fingers scratched the green-eyed boy’s scalp in a soothing manner. Harry, not being able to stay mad at his brother for a longer span of time, sighed in relief, finally caving in as he wrapped his arms around Liam’s torso. “What happened, Harry?” Liam questioned, voice still smooth and soft— just how Harry liked. “I was enjoying my day and you-you— urgh! You fucking ruined it, and now I hate you.”

Liam merely chuckled at his brother’s outburst, the initial shock of Harry cursing fading away as he noticed the angry kitten mode Harry had transferred himself into. “You are laughing— how can you?!” The green-eyed prince screeched in incredulity, a huff highlighting his expressions.

“I hate you even more, now.” Harry announced, paradoxically snuggling closer to the natural warmth that Liam’s body radiated. “I called you back to the palace because dad told me so. He has a surprise for you before the grand dinner. And if you want, I think, I can convince mum to let you spend another day out with your little crush.”

Harry smacked his brother’s arm in retaliation, choosing to ignore how the tips of his ears tinted pink at the statement.

“He is not my crush.” The green-eyed prince accentuated each word slowly, scoffing indignantly.

“Yeah, and pottery painting is _so_ fun.” Liam deadpanned.

“It actually is, if you go there with the person you like to spend time with!”

-

“I am not ready.” Harry announced, cuddling Coco closer to his chest. The boy let out a tiny giggle when the goldendoodle yipped in joy. “I don’t think you have a choice, little prince.” Louis responded from where he was standing near the bedpost of the prince’s bed, watching the prince interact with his pet. Harry laughed at his response, trying to get away from Coco’s lovely— slobbery— licks. “Not ready as in, I haven’t gotten dressed appropriately for the event.” Harry elucidated, sitting up on his bed as his left hand mindlessly ran through Coco’s golden-brownish fur.

“Oh. I’ll leave you to it. I will be standing by the door, call me once you are done.” Louis responded, turning around to leave the room to give the prince some privacy. He never had to deal with this before, usually whenever he got to the prince’s chamber after his morning routine, the prince would already be dressed for the day, and sometimes when he was early, he didn’t have to worry as the prince had the habit of dressing himself in the bathroom only.

“No. No worries, you can sit on the couch. I just have to change my shirt; think I got some mojito on it.” Harry interjected, petting Coco’s hand one last time before he stumbled up from his bed. Louis’ eyes popped out of his head, the thought of seeing the prince’s bare torso was not one of the things he wanted to do today. “I— no, I will-will just go out, yeah? No worries, I know you might want some privacy, and I don’t want to—”

“Nonsense. James stays here and even helps me when my head is stuck in the arm hole.” Harry interjected (once again), waving his hand dismissively. Louis quirked an eyebrow, who the fuck was James?

“Who the fuck is James?” His voice was rough, the prince winced at the harshness of his voice.

“James? You don’t know him? The guy who covers for you when you do your morning routine?” Harry replied simply, fingers fiddling around with the button of his shirt. “Why does he help you, anyway? Aren’t you capable of doing that yourself?” An airy chuckle left Harry’s mouth at the minder’s words; a look of incredulity spread across his once serene features.

“I don’t know if you remember but I can’t see.”

Louis winced, an expression of utmost guilt covering his once hardened features. “I-I am-am s-s-sorry— fuck, I don’t know why I said that.”

“It is fine, now can you get out? I want to change.”

-

“Are you alright, Harry?” Anne asked as soon as the green-eyed prince entered the dining room, a look of utmost concern coating her soft features. “Why would I not be?” Harry questioned back, trying to keep his voice neutral as he took his seat, petting Coco’s head— once he let go of his grip on his harness— as a little ‘thank you’ for guiding him to his seat. The goldendoodle let out a tiny bark in response.

Anne furrowed her brows in bemusement, watching as Louis lingered far behind Harry, hesitance in his every step as he backed away until he was standing a good distance away from Harry. “Nothing.” The queen shook her head, biting her bottom lip in worry when she noticed how Louis’ posture had changed back to being tensed and stoic, the scowl she had not seen in these past few days, making an appearance on the minder’s face again as Louis stood with his shoulders and legs wide apart.

The rest of the dinner went by in a frenzy, with Liam and Robin initiating almost every conversation. Both the males backed down once they realized Harry was not going to answer properly. “So. . . the surprise?” Liam chimed in, breaking the heavy silence in the room. “I don’t want it.” The younger prince interjected just as Anne went to speak. “You might love it, baby.” The woman continued anyway, reaching forward to squeeze her son’s hand comfortingly.

Harry sighed softly, settling in his chair with his back slouched. “You remember Aiden, bub?” Liam was the one to speak this time, his soft voice cutting through the hard façade Harry had put up ever since the start of the dinner. “Aiden, the garden boy?” The prince questioned, brows forming a crease on his forehead as the inquisitive garden boy from the morning came back to his mind— the one whose name Louis had told him. “No. Aiden, Aiden Blackwood?” Robin spoke up, and as realization struck him, Harry sprung up in surprise with his lips pulled up in a wide smile.

“Aiden!” Harry squealed, an excited chuckle leaving his lips as his childhood crony was mentioned. “Yeah. And guess—”

“Guess who’s here to give you a little visit?” Louis visibly stiffened before he gained his composure again, pretending he didn’t notice the black-haired man enter the room with an ice pack in his hand, raised up to his reddened and swollen jaw. The green-eyed prince frowned at the somewhat familiar voice, brows furrowing as he racked his brain for the answer, he was currently asking himself: where had he heard this voice today?

“Aiden Blackwood!” Liam answered for the man, an excited grin painted across his face. Harry’s face blanched, lips parted in surprise as everything clicked. Aiden, the same guy Louis had socked in the face today. “Hey, Harry. Aren’t you excited to see me?” Harry pursued his lips, nodding his head almost forcefully. “Nice to finally see you again after so long. It has been ages since I saw your face— oh, my god.” Aiden paused dramatically, gaze flickering fleetingly towards where Louis was standing with a somewhat uncomfortable look painted across his features.

“Isn’t that your boyfriend, Harry? Why is he standing behind you?”

Louis’ taut jaw ticked, the minder exhaling through his nose to calm himself down. “Why are you standing behind him like tha— oh.” Aiden’s face formed an ‘o’ shape as he took in Louis’ usual tux, the walkie-talkie stuffed in the waistline of his slacks, the pistol resting against his left hip. “You are actually his bodyguard, aren’t you?” The black-haired man chuckled, eyeing the minder carefully.

Harry refrained himself from speaking up, actually wanting to question Aiden regarding his actions in the park. Aiden had obviously recognized him, then why had he still acted the way he had?

“I think he asked you a question, Tomlinson.” Robin spoke up, tone nothing but gentle. Louis’ head snapped towards where the man was sitting at the head of the table, giving a single nod of his head in response. “So?” Aiden prompted when Louis still didn’t respond.

“Your assumption is correct. . . . sir.”


	8. Leave

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> first of all, im very sorry for the late updates but thats cuz this story is originally being updated on wattpad, and i publish it here by mixing two of my wattpad chapters. also i was facing the biggest fucking block with this one, so yeah sorry, also thanks to everyone who has left kudos and comments!! mwah! its harry's birthday, yalll djskskskdj

Louis really should not be this bothered over something so simple as Harry spending time with his childhood friend. He also shouldn’t have rolled his eyes every time Aiden cracked a lame joke, and the prince cackled away as if it was the funniest thing someone had ever said. He was sure a toddler was funnier than this unsolicited man who had turned up out of nowhere and ruined everything. 

The minder watched with squinted eyes as the prince leaned against Aiden’s arm for support as he laughed his heart out. What had the man uttered? Why was it making Harry laugh wholeheartedly? As discreet as he could be, the blue-eyed man minder inched closer to the laughing pair, posture as stiff as the morning wood he had woke up with today.

“. . . Oh, my, since when did you get so funny, A?”

He could make out the jumbled mess of the prince’s words, his eyes squinting even more at the nickname which had tumbled out of the pillowed lips of the green-eyed boy. “I was always funny, Haz.” The black-haired man responded back, a lazy grin stretched across his serene features as he bent down to pluck a daisy out of its roots, twirling it around with the help of his sturdy fingers as his cobalt eyes inspected the soft petals of the flower.

Louis snorted inwardly, shaking his head in amusement. Aiden was surely going to get a scolding from the prince regarding how plucking flowers was a bad habit— Louis would know, he already had to suffer through the lecture of how plucking a baby daisy from its roots was very akin to stealing a baby from its mother as soon as it was born, and the minder had not completely forgot about how the other daises might have cried at the nightfall, already missing their comrade who they had grown up with.

The look of amusement soon turned into a one of an utter malicious one when the black-haired man raised a hand to swipe away the baby curls which were falling over Harry’s forehead, his awfully large hand placing the soft flower behind the prince’s ears. The augmentation of the malice he was feeling was easily expressible by the way his face had twisted in a scowl, the pools of azure now nothing but fiery balls of anger, waiting to be unleashed from the heavy restraints of his professional protocols.

He clenched his fists by his sides, teeth clenched tightly as he took a deep breath in. The minder would have gone back to his stoic façade (he really would have) had it not been the way the tips of Harry’s ears had tinged a dark pink as a soft giggle had pushed past the soft lips of the green-eyed boy. Nonetheless, he held back his anger— it would be very unprofessional of him, if he were to lash out like an untamed beast. He bit his lip to hold in the bitter words that were sure to leave his mouth at the sight in front of him. Why was the little prince leaning against Aiden’s arm so much? Was it really that necessary? _Not really,_ he mused bitterly.

“Oh, my god! There is no way you were able to pull a stunt like that.”

“Oh, but trust me, I did. I had dressed myself up hastily and—”

And Louis listened as the black-haired man droned on and on about how he had jumped from the window of his apartment when the flat above his had caught fire. The minder snorted at the way Harry’s face had turned into one of awe, eyes shining with something akin to admiration as he attentively listened to his friend talk about his bogus stories. Jumping from the second story of a building did not sound as heroic as Harry and Aiden had made it sound like.

“And then, I am like soaring through the air but. . .” Aiden paused dramatically, enjoying the way his friend waited with bated breath, lips parted in anticipation as he hung on to each and every word he spoke.

“But?” The green-eyed prince prompted quietly, biting his bottom lip in sheer apprehension.

“But I realize I forgot to wear my pants and underpants, and the people standing below are possibly being showed my balls with the way my shirt had ridden up in the process of going down, and—”

The prince honked out a loud laugh, almost doubling over as he laughed heartily. Louis scowled, feeling sorry for the people who had to see the small prick of this unwanted prick. “Oh, my god. Aiden, you idiot!” Harry let out the words in between the wheezes of breaths he was letting out, his face flushed a bright red as mirth shined in the pools of bright green, which were swirled with a lightest of blue with a tinge of golden around the circumference of his irises— Louis had noticed so during their day out.

He did not like the way Aiden was making the little prince happy. He didn’t like the way Harry blushed here and there whenever Aiden said something with a teasing smile on his face. He despised the way Harry was literally giggling to everything that was coming out of the prick’s mouth— it sounded exaggerating to the minder.

“Your lunch awaits you, little prince.” The words were out before he could stop them, lingering in the heavy silence that soon followed after. He did not glance where the prince and Aiden had fleetingly paused, the prince’s brows furrowed which had resulted into a crease forming in between his brows— any other day he would have taken his time to scrutinize the crease on the boy’s forehead, but not today.

“That’s sir to you.” The cold words of the prince snapped him out of whatever bubble he had caged himself in, the harsh words anchoring him to the ground: where he belonged. He was nothing but a measly worker working for Harry’s father, nothing but a protector to shield the green-eyed prince from the dangers of the world.

“Of course, sir.” He found himself saying, pushing down the odd lump forming in his throat as he nodded dutifully, eyes fleetingly cast downwards before he looked up again, only to be greeted by a pair of cobalt blue eyes staring at him with something akin to pity swirling around in them.

He didn’t like the look of pity directed towards him, the minder decided.

He liked it better when his relationship with his clients was brief, shaped into what exactly one would call a professional relationship. He was foolish enough to fall for the prince’s faux naivety, thinking that the prince might want a companion, a friend. All the efforts he had made to make the prince’s birthday a memorable one were now laughing at him, taunting him from within. The awake nights chockfull with thoughtful planning, the ‘what ifs’ and the initial anxiety of spending the whole day with Harry which had faded away quickly once he had seen the excited expression coating the younger one’s features.

They didn’t mean anything to the green-eyed boy.

He had just been a standby friend in the prince’s life, a friend who was replaced just as fast as he had been welcomed.

-

“C’mon, Anne! It would be really fun, and Harry could finally get out of the palace with the whole family present.” Aiden pressed, taking a bite of his roasted chicken as he waited for the woman’s answer who looked a tad skeptical as she gulped down her wine. “I don’t know, Aiden. You know how we can’t even go outside without paparazzies chasing us, and going to a village for a little vacation seems a bit too much.” The woman answered softly, a tight-lipped smile stretched across her serene features.

“But it is not just any village, Anne! It’s Snowshill, your own hometown, don’t you want Harry to get acquainted to the place where you spent your childhood at? And besides, we can easily send Harry off first with his minder, so the poor child wouldn’t be papped with you guys. And you know how kind and gentle the residents of the village are, they wouldn’t say anything to anyone about the curly-haired bloke seen with the royal family.”

“I’ll talk with Robin, and see what he thinks.”

The answer was enough for the black-haired man, who nodded appreciatively before he slipped away from the dining room, leaving Anne alone with her thoughts.

-

It had been two weeks since Harry had started giving Louis what one would call a cold shoulder. Two hard weeks of being ignored by the person who once was the only person to bombard him with the weirdest questions. But like every time life threw a curveball at him, Louis accepted the new change in his routine. He accepted the bitter truth of Harry getting tired of him like a kid would get tired of their old toy. And maybe, he was overreacting since there had been no official hand of friendship from Harry’s side.

He was seriously considering going up to the manager of the agency and resign himself from this particular job. Maybe, he should also resign himself from the agency, pack up his things and head towards The Himalayas and become a monk, shaved head and all. That actually sounded appealing at the moment; anything was appealing than watching Aiden and Harry cuddling in the latter’s bed as the black-haired man read to the prince.

Though, he could not see them cuddling (a blessing or a curse) since he was facing the door of the room, he could easily pick out the soft murmurs of the prince in between the lapses. “Louis?”

He almost gave himself a whiplash from how quickly he had turned to face the source of the voice. His suspicions were correct, he mused; it was evident enough with the way Harry had his head laid on Aiden’s lap, who had a bookmarked book in his hands as his fingers carded through the prince’s soft curls absentmindedly. “Yes, sir?” He questioned, mentally patting himself on the back for not sounding desperate nor jealous— he sounded nonchalant and unbothered, just what he was going for.

“Could you give the two of us some space?”

“No.”

He did _not_ sound nonchalant or unbothered now. His response was immediate, the stoic tone his voice always held nowadays, faltering like his career. The covetous edge of his tone made him wince slightly, hoping no one else noticed the little slip-up of his tone. All his hopes were crushed when his gaze met Aiden’s, the man quirking an eyebrow in amusement as he shook his head.

The traces of amusement on the man’s face augmented his irritation, which the blue-eyed minder masked with his poker face. He widened his stance as if trying to showcase his dominance much like how an Alpha wolf would try to do if a stranger invaded its territory.

“Why?” Harry was oblivious to the obvious tension between the two men, brows furrowed as he scratched his scalp in slight bemusement. “I am not allowed to.” That was all he said before he was turning around again, facing the good ole mahogany door.

It wasn’t until after about two minutes that his brain registered that Harry had talked to him after two weeks. But it didn’t matter now.

Not anymore.

“You cannot order me around like that.” Harry argued, sitting up on his canopy bed, still leaning against the plush bedpost. “I am not ordering you around, sir.” Came back the curt reply, the minder still not turning around to answer. “You cannot be rude to me like that! I am the prince, and I desire to be treated like one!” The green-eyed prince squeaked, which made Louis breathe out a soft sigh.

When he did not respond, the prince let out an infuriated huff. “Do not ignore me like that!” Louis’ lips twitched up in the slightest manner at the whiny edge to the boy’s tone. “I want you outside my room, right this instant! And since you are working for me, you will follow my orders, or I can easily get you fired.”

Louis quirked an eyebrow, turning around to see the fussy mess that Harry was currently resembling. The prince had his nose high up in the air, not unlike a proper brat. “Get out.” Harry huffed, crossing his arms across his chest. “I will _not._ ” The blue-eyed minder replied, a challenging glint shining in his eyes. “Don’t make do something that you and I, both, will regret.” The green-eyed prince huffed, scrunching up his nose in the process.

“Okay, I’ll leave.”

-

Louis was not kidding when he had uttered those three simple (stupid) words. Now, Harry was stuck with a forty-year-old minder who was not as charming as his previous one. For instance, Jake (the new bodyguard) did not like talking. Jake also did not appreciate Harry’s considerate albeit small efforts at hitting up a conversation with the man. Whenever the prince would say something, the man would huff out a sigh of annoyance.

It had been one month since Louis had stupidly gone on and resigned himself from the job. The blue-eyed man was _not_ someone who had patience, Harry decided.

It was surreal, just how fast Louis had come and changed his daily, mind-numbing routine into something so mindboggling yet exciting. Harry was able to talk to Louis without any inhibitions, without being interrupted. Louis would listen to everything he’d say, humming out a tiny ‘mhmm’ or give his quiet little inputs in between any lapses, never once he would try to steer the conversation to his side. It was always about Harry.

Never once about Louis.

And just like that, it dawned on the prince just how little he knew about his so-called ‘crush’ (as Liam liked to call him). 


	9. ANNOUNCEMENT!

**hello, guys! its me, the shitty author, but you can call me Krishi!**

**So, you're probably gonna hate me after this, but it is what I think is right in this moment.**

**So, I'm in my last year of high school, and my finals time table just came, and I realized I don't even know more than half of the syllabus.** **It was a cold hit in the face, and I needed to get my shit together.**

**With that being said, I'm taking a break from social media to focus on my studies so I can pass with good grades and get enrolled in a nice school for further studies.**

**I'll still be on wattpad, but I won't update my ongoing books for a while. My last exam is on 22nd of May, so after that I'll update in loads. I have every intention of completing Lilac and Little Prince, so dont think I'm abandoning anything. I'll also update in the middle, if I can.**

**As I said, I'm not deactivating my wattpad account, so you can still talk to me if you want. Also, I'm thinking of taking honors in English Literature, so maybe my writing will somewhat improve in this year** **skskksks** **.**

**Ik its my fault for starting books, but I** **couldnt** **resist and I didn't know I was going to end up completely oblivious and clueless about stuff.**

**I also know I've let many people down with this, but my future career depends on these exams, and I can't afford messing it up.**

**Ps- I'm so sorry 🥺 but please understand my concern.**

**I love you all.**  
**Take care.**  
**Talk to me, if ya want xx.**

**My wattpad is harrywyd-  
so, if you want to talk to me regarding anything, you can feel free to contact me. ** ****

**Love Love Love, K.**

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you liked this! Leave your thoughts and suggestions!


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